Thanks so much to Hiroshi Tsutsumida for the interview! You may know Hiroshi thanks to the wonderful band Johnny Dee, but prior to being in that band that released some lovely records on Vinyl Japan he was in The Korova Milk Bar. It was fairly recently that Blue-Very Records recovered some of their songs and released a flexi with two of them. And so I discovered this great project!! And I needed to know more of course! So that’s what you’ll find in this interview! (and yes! we’ll do a Johnny Dee interview soon!).

++ Hi Hiroshi! Thanks so much for being up for this interview! How are you? Are you still involved with music?

Cool ! Yes, I’m involved with music now, although I’ve been away from music for a long time as I got rid of my huge vinyl collection. I’ve been collecting vinyl records for a long time and I’ve got the feeling that I’ve been spending in vain my life on it. But now I’m buying records again and two years ago we played at a gig with The Monochrome Set and The Catenary Wires as Johnny Dee. Then I was so nostalgic because this is the second time we performed at gigs with Amelia Fletcher. And this time, what was released cassette tape in 1989 as The Korova Milk Bar will be released on vinyl records at Blue-Very records. Actually, a master tape was found at the member’s house. FYI, this album was remixed by Tomoki Kanda (ex-
Favourite Marine), mastering by Seiki Sato (Microstar), Liner notes written by Asako Koide (Eikoku Ongaku/英国音楽).

++ Let’s go back in time. What are your first music memories? Do you remember what was your first instrument? How did you learn to play it? What sort of music did you listen to at home while growing up?

Firstly I start listening to Yellow Magic Orchestra and related artists such as “B2 Unit”, Ryuichi Sakamoto and “Murdered by the Music”, Yukihiro Takahashi. Also, I was influenced by the Ryuichi Sakamoto’s Radio program “Sound Street” so learned about new wave and electric pop. Especially loved David Bowie.

After that I listened to Soft Cell, Joy Division, Bauhaus, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Cure, New Order, The Durutti Column, Aztec Camera, The Smiths and Felt.

On the other hand, I was also into punk, hardcore, goth and industrial music. As for roots music : e.g., from The Clash to reggae dub, from The Specials to Jamaican ska, from The Jam to mods & soul music and from Echo & the Bunnymen to The Doors and The Velvet Underground like this.

When we’re KOROVA’s, listened Rough Trade, Crepusqule, Cherry Red, Creation and Sarah. In other words, we listened to those music in real time like you.

++ Had you been in other bands before the Korova Milk Bar? If so, how did all of these bands sound? Are there any recordings?

Yes, I led the a group called “The Puppets” which is goth band. Unfortunately, there is no recordings.

++ What about the other members?

The Korova Milk Bar is a group when we’re university students in 1987. The band-members are Guitar, Tsuruta (ex-Johnny Dee), G & Bass, Fukuda (ex-Johnny Dee, Psychagogo) Drums, Naito, and I. Everyone loved ‘60s music, punk, new wave and always used to get vinyl records. We’re really a white music supremacy, off course the fashion too.

++ Where were you from originally?

I was born in Kumamoto in west Japan. When played at Johnny Dee I lived in Fukuoka. Now live in Tokyo.

++ How was Tokyo at the time of Korova Milk Bar? Were there any bands that you liked? Were there any good record stores? Or what about the pubs or venues to go check out up and coming bands?

In terms of domestic bands, I particularly loved a Japanese great new wave group, The Roosters, so was especially influenced their album “DIS” and “PHY”. Then lived in local city far from Tokyo, but I often used to go to record stores such as “Zest”, “Vinyl Japan” and “Warszawa” in Tokyo. These record stores had any rare records and a lot of records of obscure new groups in the UK. I was a vinyl geek those days.

++ How did you all meet? How was the recruiting process?

We had an opportunity to meet at college circles, record stores and gigs because there were limited places go to in the world of maniac and minority music in the city of Japan.

++ How was the creative process for you? Where did you usually practice?

As for the practice, we practiced at member’s house and studio and often used to cover The Velvet Underground, The Smiths etc. This time we posted VELVET’s cover ‘Ride into the sun” and CAN cover “19c man” recorded in those days to YouTube. If you guys would like to, please check.

++ What’s the story behind the band’s name?

Its name taken from “A Clock Work Orange”. In addition, “Korova” is a label name which belong to Echo and the Bunnymen and Strawberry Switchblade I liked in those days. However, after that I found the same band’s name in the UK. Our band’s name has “The” though.

++ Who would you say were influences in the sound of the band?

Regarding The Korova Milk Bar, we were influenced The Smiths, Felt, and The Jesus and  Marychain. We pretty loved ‘80s UK sound. Since there were no like a cool guitar bands in   Japan, we wanted to be a domestic first guitar band like The Smiths.

Sadly since we were a pretty obsucure group in a province , nobody known,  and our cassette tapes weren’t distributed in Tokyo. Furthermore, such guitar sound was not understood in Japan at all.

If we were in Tokyo, that circumstances might have changed.

++ Are there still many unreleased songs?

Yes, there are some songs, but the quality is not so high I think.

++ And how come there were no more releases by the band?

Because we broke up the band and became Johnny Dee.

++ At some point I noticed that the band lineup changed too, right? What happened? Who left and who came to be part of the band?

The side guitarist just left the band. After that lead guitar, Shimoda joined the band and became Johnny Dee.

++ I think my favourite song of yours might as well be “Rain Girls & Gentle Girls”, wondering if you could tell me what inspired this song? What’s the story behind it?

I’m glad to hear that. This song was inspired by The Smiths anyway. The vocal style like kind of My Bloody Valentine though. I added a bit Japanese because I wanted to make UK sound to an original Japanese song.

++ If you were to choose your favorite Korova Milk Bar song, which one would that be and why?

It’s “Rain Girls” and “Ryouzoux”. Regarding “Ryouzoux”, sounds like an early Felt. This song was inspired the early Felt and “White Nights”, Psychic TV. I really like the sound of guitar like a “Mexican Bandits” by Felt and melody. At that time, I don’t think there was a band in Japan that has such an authentic UK sound..

++ What about gigs? Did you play many?

Not so much. The audience was also quite small.

++ And what were the best gigs you remember? Any anecdotes you can share?

Unfortunately, There is nothing.

++ And were there any bad ones?

We were too obsucure. Our sound was for a minority. We didn’t have an audience, and they couldn’t understand our music. If we were in Tokyo, it would had a little better I believe.

++ When and why did The Korova Milk Bar stop making music? Were you involved in any other bands afterwards?

This band certainly broke up in 1990. Afterwards changed Johnny Dee since Shimoda joined.

++ What about the rest of the band, had they been in other bands afterwards?

We transformed to Johnny Dee. After that I was involved The Palm Songwriters and Johnny Johnny. Also, I sang two songs at Colour Filter. Fukuda, guitar & Bass formed Psychagogo and joined The Palm Songwriters.

++ Has there been any Korova Milk Bar reunions?

There was no reunion at all since I’ve been away from music, I’ve never thought about it so far.

++ Was there any interest from radio? TV?

I was not keen on either.

++ What about the press? Did they give you any attention?

There was nothing at all. We’re completely unnoticed.

++ What about from fanzines?

It’s the same. Because there weren’t fanzines around. There was a Japan’s first great indie fanzine called “Eikoku Ongaku”(英国音楽), but neither we nor they knew it.

++ Looking back in retrospective, what would you say was the biggest highlight for the band?

From my stand point, this band was purely pursuing the UK guitar sound, one of the few in Japan . Only this one point.

++ Aside from music, what other hobbies do you have?

I love fashion like a UK new wave. There are good brands in Japan. In particular, Comme des Garcons creates some good clothes that mixes new wave and trad fashion.

++ Never been to Tokyo, but I hope after this pandemic is over I will be able to visit. I want to take advantage ask a local for some recommendations! What are the sights one shouldn’t miss? Or the traditional food or drinks that you love that I should try?

If you come to Tokyo, you should first go to Disk Union, Japan’s biggest record store and off course don’t forget so cool record store Blue-Very records. Then you should go to Kyoto a beautiful city with Japanese traditional culture. In terms of Japanese foods, we would take you to the Japanese style pub, “Izakaya”. Anyway, we’re looking forward to seeing you.

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Listen
The Korova Milk Bar – Rain Girls & Gentle Girls